Strength and Cardio Training for Longevity

Strength and Cardio Training for Longevity

Written by our Nurse Practitioner, Jen Owen, N.P.

About 6 months ago, I started attending High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes three mornings per week. I roll myself out of bed and get there at 6:30am. I started doing this for a few reasons. First, while I’ve always been good at getting cardiovascular exercise and doing yoga regularly, I knew I needed to increase my strength. I want to stay strong into old age and have strong bones. Second, I had heard about all the benefits of combining strength with cardio and wanted to see for myself. Last, I go at 6:30am because I’m terrible at exercising after work and I like knowing I’m done before I head into my work day. And, I’m more of a morning person anyway.

This blog will hopefully explain why you might want to try these types of workouts, too! 

Strength and cardio training have long been known for their physical benefits, but did you know they’re also key to staying younger longer?

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), bootcamp workouts, and traditional strength training are all the rage in fitness—and for good reason. Let’s explore the science-backed benefits, how often you should train, and whether these methods can help you age gracefully.

The Benefits of Strength and Cardio Training

When it comes to improving overall health and longevity, combining cardio and strength training is a winning formula.

Here’s why:

1. Cardiovascular Health: Cardio workouts, especially HIIT, are proven to lower blood pressure and improve heart health. Studies show that even short bursts of intense cardio can significantly enhance cardiovascular function

2. Muscle and Bone Strength: Strength training is essential for maintaining muscle mass and bone density, especially as we age. Regular resistance exercises help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and frailty.

3. Metabolic Boost: HIIT has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and increase metabolism, making it a great tool for preventing metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.

4. Mental Health: Regular exercise, whether cardio or strength-based, has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by releasing feel-good endorphins.

How Often Should You Train?

For general health and longevity, a combination of cardio and strength training is recommended. The American Heart Association suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio (or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio like HIIT) per week, along with two or more strength-training sessions.

If you’re looking to maximize benefits, incorporating HIIT two to three times a week is a great way to improve both endurance and metabolic health.

Can It Help You Stay Young Longer?

The answer is yes! Research has shown that exercise, especially HIIT, can have anti-aging effects at the cellular level. A 2017 study found that HIIT improved the function of mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells. This suggests that regular exercise could slow down the aging process by enhancing cellular repair and regeneration.

Beyond cellular health, exercise also reduces the risk of age-related diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia, helping you maintain not just physical vitality, but cognitive function as well.

Conclusion

Strength and cardio training offer a wealth of long-term benefits. From boosting your heart health to improving your cellular function, regular exercise is one of the best ways to promote longevity and maintain a youthful, active body.

You don’t have to go at 6:30am, but if you do, maybe I’ll see you there! 

Belonging to Ourselves

Belonging to Ourselves

Written by Jody Cecil, our Licensed Professional Counselor

In a powerful scene in the popular show Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton (played by Hannah Waddingham) meets her younger self while calming the anxiety she feels as she prepares for an important meeting. (If you have not seen the comedy-drama or have forgotten the scene from Season 3, Episode 10, you can view it here. As she looks in the mirror, Rebecca sees herself as a little girl. The fear Rebecca feels seems to be coming from a much younger part of her.

We all have a part of us we dislike, and we often refer to them as “bad”. A bad habit, an addiction, sinfulness, or some other critical and belittling name. We hate feeling anxious or depressed. We work hard to fix and change ourselves, sometimes with little success. What if, instead, we could befriend that part and show it compassion? Even be grateful for it? According to Dr. Richard Schwartz, the creator of an evidence-based psychotherapy called Internal Family Systems (IFS), “A part is not just a temporary emotional state or habitual thought pattern. Instead, it is a discrete and autonomous mental system that has an idiosyncratic range of emotion, style of expression, set of abilities, desires, and view of the world. [It] is as if we each contain a society of people, each of whom is at a different age and has different interests, talents, and temperaments.” Dr. Schwartz and others invite us to consider these parts with curiosity and compassion. All parts belong.

As human beings, it seems we contain within us a multitude of parts. Some feel younger, as in the example shared from Ted Lasso. As you read these examples, begin to be curious about the different parts within you. While ordering at a restaurant, a part of me plans to choose a healthy salad; when the server arrives, I order a greasy burger. A part of us wants to be with our friends, and yet, another part may want to stay home. On any given day, despite years of experience in our professional roles, a part of us may feel like we have no idea what we’re doing. It’s very common to feel competing impulses, thoughts and feelings, and our relationship with those parts matters.

In the earlier example from Ted Lasso, Rebecca’s anxious little girl might be considered an exiled part – the part of the personality who holds painful memories, unmet needs, and disowned feelings. If Rebecca had sat down and decided not to attend the meeting, we could say that a protective part had jumped in to help her. The protector part is not bad; she’s doing her job. She was warning Rebecca of the danger within the next room. In the past, people had been judgmental and unkind. Of course, Rebecca is an adult now and can handle the situation much differently. Adult Rebecca could have ignored the anxious young part, but instead, she notices her and empowers her.

Viewing ourselves as parts invites greater self-compassion and grace. If we are more tender with ourselves, we discover greater opportunities for healing and growth. We feel empowered. I often tell clients, “Not all of you is anxious right now; they are simply a part of you”. Naming the part leads to a separation. We can see that part and seek to understand what might be worrying them rather than criticizing them. Now we have agency and hope. I invite you to try it out and notice the parts of you. If you feel you need additional support from a licensed professional, you can contact me at https://www.takingrootcounseling.com.

As a counselor, I welcome all parts of you.

The Power of Both/And

The Power of Both/And

Written by our Licensed Professional Counselor, Jody Cecil

One of my favorite symbols is the ampersand. Anyone who visits my home will find a few scattered throughout, in varied sizes, textures and colors. The symbol itself stands for the word “and”. Seems a bit strange to add them into your décor, right? Perhaps – until you see the power of this small character, a symbol of possibility and connection.

Our brain and bodies are wired for protection. To think in terms of either/or allows us to survive. Many years ago, as a young child, I wandered outside to play while my parents were entertaining a group of their friends. While exploring, I discovered mushrooms growing in our lawn. Now, I loved mushrooms and decided to eat a few while everyone else was enjoying their own meal. Turns out they were poisonous toadstools, not mushrooms. You can imagine what happened next. In so many situations, the categories of good and bad can keep us safe.

So much of our experience as human beings, however, is much more complex. If we interpret or perceive something as only good or bad / all or nothing, we may become stuck and rigid in our thinking. This rigidity often leads to distress, both internally and in relationships. Here’s where “&” invites hope. All of life includes both comfort and discomfort, beauty and heart ache, struggle and success, anger and peace. Even when ideas or circumstances feel like they are in conflict, the reality is that both sides are valid.

A dialectic is the idea that two opposites can both be true at the same time. To be dialectical means expanding your way of seeing things, being more flexible and approachable. We can practice being dialectical in our everyday experiences and interactions. Consider where your thinking might automatically perceive a situation as either/or and try to shift it a bit. Yes, you’re frustrated by the driver who just cut you off AND they may have had a good reason why they were driving so quickly. Our partners may have said something hurtful AND we recognize they just had a stressful day. We want to be more motivated to change AND we’re doing the best we can. Dialectical thinking invites us to validate and normalize a situation while at the same time, naming something that offers hope.

May we all learn to better embrace the power and hope of the “both/and”.

Interested in exploring the possibility of counseling? Reach out to Jody Cecil, our licensed professional counselor at the Flourish Center. You can contact her at https://takingrootcounseling.com.

Boundaries~ Safe, Seen and Loved

Boundaries~ Safe, Seen and Loved

A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend with a dear friend who is battling cancer for the second time. The days following a chemotherapy treatment can be daunting for her – physically, emotionally, and mentally – and my friend has no problem asking for support. Our time together highlighted the importance of boundaries, the lines and limits we create for ourselves so that we can function well in relationships with others. With my friend, for example, I knew it would not go well if I told her to do something, no matter how essential it was for her at that moment. How do you feel about the boundaries in your current relationships?

There are many types of boundaries including physical, emotional, relational, sexual, intellectual, time, financial, spiritual, and material boundaries. The limits we set are defined by multiple factors including our experiences as we grow up in our families. To narrow this topic a bit for today, let’s consider your relationships with a friend or family member.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What do I value in a relationship?
  • What behaviors bother me?
  • What qualities do I admire in others?
  • How do I like to spend my time? What makes me feel fulfilled?
  • How much time do I like to spend with others? What do I currently have time for now in my friendships?
  • How easy is it for me to say no? To say yes?

Setting a boundary with someone can be difficult. Our boundaries may be too rigid (picture a wall without any doors and no access to others), too porous (the wall and door are there, but others can come and go as they please) or collapsed (no walls at all). When we find it difficult to set a limit, typically we’re afraid of something. We may fear . . .

We may fear . . .

  • losing the love or approval of another person.
  • the other’s anger.
  • loneliness
  • guilty feelings, feeling like a bad person when we say no.
  • hurting the feelings of others.
How do you strengthen your boundaries? One step might be to explore your own boundaries in a specific relationship. Be curious and notice how you interact with that person. You might want to identify an area to practice setting healthier boundaries, limits that look much more like a wall with a door that you use to invite people in and out. The goal? For both of you to feel safe, seen and loved.

If boundaries in relationships are challenging for you, another step may involve seeking the support of another person, including a counselor. In my practice, I collaborate with clients to change their boundaries through experiential therapy that includes experiments where we explore the body’s role in boundary setting. If you’re interested in working with me, click below. 

Tips for Better Digestion & Gut Health

Tips for Better Digestion & Gut Health

Written by our Functional Nutritionist & Health Coach, Cindy Wiedoff

Optimal gut health begins with our daily habits. In order to set yourself up for success, the focus must shift to making mealtime a priority.

After all we spend a good amount of time eating, typically an average of 3 to 5 times daily.

The more we can do to start the digestion process off right, the more likely we are able to absorb nutrients and avoid digestive dysfunction.

I put together a few helpful HINTs (see what I did there) to help improve your overall gut health and digestive processes.

Digestion should be visualized as a “north to south” process.

It begins in your brain (north), not your stomach!

The act of smelling and seeing the food tells your brain its time to eat, so it sends out a signal telling the digestive system to get ready to eat. This stimulates the production of stomach acid and enzymes needed to assist the body in breaking down food as it moves down “south”.

If we skip this crucial step, the next stage of digestion will become more difficult.

It’s important to be in a relaxed frame of mind. Proper digestion can only happen when we are in a parasympathetic (relaxed) state of being.

That means being mindful about the entire process and avoiding potential distractions like multitasking. Mindful eating includes taking the time to be seated, to eat slow, breathe, look, and smell before you even take your first bites of food.

For my clients, I provide an in depth examination of digestion and eating habits. I help pin point areas that may be hindering optimal health, then guide them through the process to improve certain aspects.

Tips for optimal digestion and overall gut health:

1. Choose your location wisely.

Sitting and eating in a relaxed or parasympathetic state helps the brain to focus on the task at hand, which is the digestion process. When we sit in a relaxed state, both the brain and body can work together to accomplish all that comes with digestion.

It is especially important to find a quiet space away from distractions like work, television, and computers. Mindful eating is much easier to accomplish when there are no distractions.

In my opinion, this is the most important step.

2. Prepare more meals at home.

Preparing food at home should be a sensory experience. When we see, smell and handle food, the brain tells the body that it is time to eat.

Doing this helps the brain and body begin the digestion process.

Many clients will notice some weight loss when making the majority of their meals at home.

Eating out often adds unwanted calories and the overconsumption of processed foods. You also have control over what goes into your food and the quality of ingredients used.

An additional benefit would be using that time as an opportunity to connect with loved ones and those around us.

3. Drink the majority of your water between meals.

You need potent stomach acid to help break down food while eating so more nutrients can be absorbed. Water and other beverages consumed during meals dilute the necessary stomach acid needed to begin breaking down food and absorbing nutrients.

It’s best to sip a little water as needed when eating.

4. Consider digestive support products.

Products like bitters, apple cider vinegar, or HCL (hydrochloric acid) prior to mealtime help create the appropriate level of stomach acid needed to breakdown food.

Products like digestive bitters help digestion because of their bitter taste See my blog here about bitters here. They stimulate your bitter taste buds, which signal different activities in your digestive system that start making more saliva, stomach acid, and enzymes (like pepsin) that help you start to break down your food.

As we age, the level of gastric juice we make naturally begins to decrease, making it more difficult to break down food, absorb nutrients.

So adding bitters to your diet can assist you.

5. Incorporate probiotics and/or cultured and fermented foods into your diet.

Take a probiotic daily and change the type every few months to introduce a variety of strains.

If the digestive system is strong enough, and histamines aren’t an issue try adding some fermented foods into your diet.

Fermented and cultured foods create (probiotic) and feed (prebiotic) our beneficial gut bacteria. For example, kefir, low sugar cultured yogurts, kimchee, saurkraut, kombucha, miso, and fermented vegetables are all great sources.

6. Chew, chew, chew your food slowly and thoroughly.

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly helps mix the saliva and enzymes needed to break down food properly and ensures vitamins and minerals are absorbed.

Proper chewing also helps the digestion process break the food down to a size that is safe to enter the next phase of digestion. If food particles are too large, they can stay undigested, ferment, and become food for undesirable bacterial overgrowth and create conditions like Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).

When large pieces of undigested food moves further down the digestive tract, it can create holes in the mesh-like lining of the intestines and cause situations such as irritable bowl syndrome, leaky gut, and food sensitivities.

7. Increase fiber intake

Fiber encourages the elimination of waste in a timely or “regular” cycle.

Increasing the amount of fiber you consume daily feeds beneficial gut bacteria needed to maintain balance and harmony.

It will also make you feel full longer and help stabilize blood sugar, which helps control unwanted food cravings.

Here are some small changes that can make big differences.

And they don’t cost you any money

1. Try to savor and enjoy your food. Take deep breaths before you start to eat and have a grateful mindset or attitude for the food in front of you.

2. Time yourself eating. See if you can extend that time to slow down and chew food longer.

3. Challenge yourself to reduce the amount of liquids around your meal time, especially during and after eating. This will increase the stomach acid available for proper digestion.

Having digestion issues? Not sure what to eat or what probiotic to take? Looking to lose weight or eat optimally for a chronic condition?

I can help!

I can work with you at The Flourish Center in Portland, or anywhere in the world via online sessions.